Ruger American Project

The problem with starting an "improvement project" on a price point rifle is the return is only worth whatever personal satisfaction you get.
 
The price point is not really relevant, what it does on the range is. This rifle shot extremely well making it worth addressing the deficiencies. I have done likewise on just about every rifle I've owned. All the wood stocked M700's were pillar and glass bedded.

So far I've spent $24 on this. The time is irrelevant because it is a hobby. The project is an attempt to avoid buying a Boyd's stock, which is calling to me. But if I get one then I will have to pillar bed it anyway.

Calling to me hard, one of two of them.

The At-One
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The Prairie Hunter

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Too many videos for me to watch but, anyone upping their rifles potential, be it a $20 gun or a $20,000 gun is good in my books. Good luck. I look forward to reading more.
 
When I got my Mossberg all that there was around was a plastic stock one and I can't deal with a plastic stock. So while I was waiting on the wood stock I took it apart and the barrel channel was about like what you have. Haven't touched it other than remove it. My thought at the time was do to the barrel what you did, but that much glass would cost to much for me. Bondo is a good idea. I suspect that had you got the bondo in and a couple layer's of tape under the barrel you might have been able to float the barrel without taking it down later. I would assume that release agent on the tape would keep the bondo from sticking to the barrel. So how heavy is that bondo anyway? You have me thinking I might try that with the plastic stock as I still have it! That rod sounds like a good idea too. I saw a wood stock gun that was done for a friend and it has a push rod bedded into the stock. Guy talked him into it. But I don't think it helped a thing, the wood stock was a laminated! Nice video's! How did you get the recoil pad off without messing up the stock? I would think two bars of lead would be heavy. I have lots around for casting bullet's and each bar weight's 1#!
 
What I didn't put in the video because I forgot. I did the Bondo in three layers. I have a roll of fiberglass drywall tape. I cut that tape along its length 8 times then into 3/4 sections, That was mixed in the bottom two layers.

The first layer was put in the the treadled round stock embedded. Then the second layer after the first sat for 3 hours and cured. Then the second layer and three more hours. Then the third had no additional reinforcement.

After application I only had to do little trimming with the dremel.

Before I started I made a batch and put it in a tobacco tin. I wanted to see how fast it hardened. It turned out to be way too fast so that's why I decided to do it in stages. I also found out that epoxy does not sick to plastic so I didn't have to worry about being sloppy as I rushed. Also I knew expoxy heats up as it cures so I didn't want to pour an unknown amount of heat into that plastic.

Inside it does not look neat, but it works.
 
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